A Beckenham woman found a mystery snake in her house and was left to get rid of it with a broom handle and a plastic sheet. 

Jill Aebi-Mytton, 69, from Bromley Road, was called at 7.45am by the woman who rents the basement flat of her property on Sunday (Oct 19).

She said the tenant had woken up to find the slithery intruder - said to be about 2.5ft and later confirmed to be a Royal python - by a shoe rack and was "in a bit of a panic". 

But after Ms Aebi-Mytton sought help from the likes of the police, the council, and the RSPCA, she was either referred elsewhere or unable to get through to someone with expertise. 

She told News Shopper: "I called the police on 101 but they didn’t do anything and told me to call the council, but being a Sunday I couldn’t get through.

"I tried the RSPCA too but was put through to a switchboard. I didn’t know what to do at all.

"In the end I had to make do with a broom handle and a plastic sheet."

Ms Aebi-Mytton said she got rid of it after researching information online. She put the intruder in a patch of woodland near Ravensbourne Station.

 

Throughout the "ordeal" the psychologist posted photos on Twitter and updated others concerned with the situation. 

She added: "It was all a bit of a dream really, it was very eventful. Sorting it out took most of the day.

"I thought it was a corn snake. I wouldn’t have touched it had I known it was a python. A bite wouldn’t have been very nice at all.

"People on Twitter were very helpful and someone managed to contact the RSCPA. They got in touch and came over."

Ms Aebi-Mytton has posted photos of the snake on Twitter and was shocked to find out later that her slippery customer had been a python.
 

Fortunately she had been able to get rid of it, and was also relieved to later find it with a member of the RSPCA.

The reptile, thought to be an abandoned pet, was taken in safely by the welfare charity.